I cringe every single time the Steelers run that play. Last night, a DB came within a step of picking one off. Not to mention, does it work that often? Is this our substitution for a running game since our O'line can't block anything for our RB's?
Array title="BlastFurnace will become famous soon enough">
I cringe every single time the Steelers run that play. Last night, a DB came within a step of picking one off. Not to mention, does it work that often? Is this our substitution for a running game since our O'line can't block anything for our RB's?
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Me too. Hate it!
Really hate the play
I don't. It sets other things up.
However, it's not a great play to run when the team you play is small and fast AND the DB's are cheating back up. It didn't work yesterday mostly because of missed blocks.
Fire Goodell
that's exactly what it is. Hell, our o-line is so bad Ben even got nailed throwing a screen pass against the Seahawks. We were fortunate to get some of those vertical passes off, like that 81 yard TD to Wallace. Our best option imo is to work that short passing game a bit like we did against the Eagles in the preseason.Originally Posted by BlastFurnace
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When has that play ever worked in a game consistently? It seems like Arians calls it 5-7 times a game and it goes for an average of 2 yards each time.
as eluded to before, it keeps the defense honest to the short pass to try and open up the medium-long range.
I still hate the play though because every time they go to the side with I just worry that a DB will sniff it out and return it for 6 the other way.
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The bubble screen is one of the few things I do hate about Arians
really haven't seen it work in quite a while
"We're a team. There's no offense. There's no defense. There's no special teams. We're one. We're a band of brothers." – Ben Roethlisberger
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Ben needs to do some pump fakes and run some no huddle (which I thought they were going to use)
This offense needs to keep time of possession and give the defense a breather. The D isn't built to stay on the field for a long time and it showed in the 4th quarter.
Agree and then the fact that you run the play to the slowest receiver on the team...
Well, how else are we supposed to get Hines his catches?
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Nice post. Agree with every statement here.
Maybe they decided not to do the no huddle so it would look like there was more time between each sack and takeaway...
"With love, with patience, and with Faith
....She'll make her way" ~ Natalie Merchant
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We need to sign Matt Forte this offseason. He can catch those short passes and make something out of them. And he has experience playing behind a terrible offensive line.
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the bubble screen doesnt bother me as much as that damn delayed draw
For those i love i will sacrifice.
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I love draws when you call them at the right time; seems to be when the defense is playing off the line or spread out. Running a draw and hoping to guess opposite the blitz or pressure just sucks.
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The draw works when you spread a team out and your offensive line can blow open some holes. We can spread out wide, but there will be a defensive lineman in the backfield to sack Ben, tackle the back in the backfield, or cause a fumble on the exchange.
I don't mind the bubble screens when you throw them to one of the Young Money Crew because they are fast as hell and can break arm tackles. You can't throw them to Mendy or Redman because they aren't fast enough to be effective.
It would also help if the line could block long enough to set it up. Ben has to throw it way to early.
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I have no problem with the bubble screen, provided that guys actually block and they don't throw it to the slow guy (sorry Hines).
They're gonna get Hines to 1000 receptions come hell or high water.
Hines gets those calls because he plays big and is tougher then most DB's. I still think the play isn't working like it should because the other WR's aren't blocking their assignments correctly.
Anyway, the reason you run it is to suck up DB's. Remember the play where Painter had a WR running wide open down the sideline and missed him? That was set up by him luring Ike into thinking he was going to be throwing short. It was a set-up.
Fire Goodell
James Lofton commented on radio about the bubble screens the steelers were running. He seemed to like the idea of steelers using all their WR speed and quickness downfield instead of behind the line.
Obviously it's nice to stretch the field, but you can't rely 100% on low-percentage bombs. We aren't the Raiders.
Fire Goodell
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I really like it. It's usually good for at least a couple yards. Especially when the run game isn't working, getting even three yards on first down is huge. And if it doesn't work, you're getting the same amount - nothing - as we did when we tried to run the ball.
Plus, it has potential for big gains. On the play you mentioned where the DB tried to jump it, Wallace makes the catch and turns it into a big gain. He had one last week too.
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Hines' 1000th catch will be a trick play where he throws the ball and (since the OL sucks), a defender will bat it back and Hines will catch the batted ball and gain 1 yard.
I don't mind the screens, although we tend to go to the well too many times. As referenced by DB's jumping the route's at times. The biggest thing there is the outside blocking. If you wiff on the 1 on 1's on the outside (Brown), it's not going anywhere. A quicker guy may make something out of nothing, but I seriously doubt that's how the coaches would like it to go.
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Bubble screens are fine, it's the overuse of them that's a problem.
"A man's got to know his limitations."
You saying Arians is predictable?
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I'm not, the results might be though.
"A man's got to know his limitations."
It's not like we run 12 of them a game.
(sigh) Nevermind. The reason the offense isn't clicking is Arians over-reliance on bubble screens, and has NOTHING to do with the OL. I'm sure if we run 0-1 bubble screens a game instead of 1-3, we'll rush for 150 yards, pass for 350 yards, and score 30 points a game.
Fire Goodell
the problem is they don't block well for the bubble screen, but arians keeps calling it. as we all know the blind fans of arians will blame the players even if arians calls it 50 times a game. you put your players in a situation to succeed. if they can't block well for that particular play or if the defense up near the scrimmage then you shouldn't call it. also, why throw it to ward? he's better at blocking.
Hater = Realist
Array title="BlastFurnace will become famous soon enough">
I think we all know that Arians has his issues, but the bottom line problem of this offense is it's inability to pass protect and short yardage issues....that have been going on for quite some time now...is what hinders this offense more than Arians's play calling.
For the past several years, the team has invested $$$$ in the o'line, but they haven't invested the $$$$ in players that are any good on the o'line. Pouncey is a good start and who knows about Gilbert, the the rest of them have been below average beginning with the foolish signing of Kendall Simmons. That's why Pouncey was viewed like a UFO siting last year by the coaches and the fans...it had been so long since we had seen a good o'lineman that we were shocked to actually seen one again.
Additionally, the hybrid role that they keep trying to put David Johnson in is a disaster.
One thing is for certain, the only reason this team wins big is because of Ben. Yes, we can point to the games last year when Ben was out last year, but that was the exception rather than the rule. Any other QB that couldn't escape the rush and didn't have passing accuracy while doing so, would get killed in this offense.
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